President’s Report – June 2014

The recent Polish Hill Club trip gave me the opportunity to catch-up with many members on the Saturday and Sunday as we toured the Clare region and socialised at the Polish Hill River campground. A couple of these conversations highlighted a very positive feature of our Club — that is how well we make visitors and new members feel welcome and included. The importance of this was made very clear in the comments made to me, some in reference to negative experiences with other clubs. That our membership is strong and currently increasing reflects this and we must ensure that we keep this openness and friendly behaviour part of the Club’s culture. The Welcomers at social meetings and trip leaders always aim to make sure our guests and new members are looked-after but please step-in if you notice someone being neglected.

Polish Hill, in the heart of the Clare Valley, is an ideal location for a Club short trip; about two hours north of Adelaide it is easy to get to and provides an ideal base for local and extended trips. This was the case on the Friday when several vehicles travelled about 135 km north to Willangi Bush Escapes near Peterborough. A second group was to have done this on Saturday but incessant rain forced the cancellation of that. The day was not lost though as a couple of convoys of vehicles visited local wineries, galleries, cafes and pubs plus the region still provided excellent views in spite of the grey conditions. Another quiz night was enjoyed on the Saturday evening, this time run by Tom and Liz, who had put a lot of work into the questions and also managed to raise funds for the Flying Doctor.

This was the second successful weekend here and Lance has already made a tentative booking for Polish Hill for next year, so seriously consider putting it into your calendar once the date is finalised.

The Committee meeting on 3rd June finalised the wording on a couple of proposed changes to the Club’s Constitution to be put to a Special General Meeting run in conjunction with the August Social Meeting; two of the motions will relate to synchronising the membership and financial years to commence on January 1st rather than September and February at present. Secretary Bob will provide the full details of the proposed changes elsewhere in Cat Chat.

For all those heading-off on extended trips to escape the southern winter please take great care on the roads, enjoy the experience and tell us all about it when you get home.